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The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards have wrapped up in Hollywood, and this year they were a little different.
Here's what changed, and why people were paying close attention.
The show had a host for the first time ever
Kristen Bell — of Veronica Mars and Bad Moms fame — had the tough job of being the awards' first-ever host.
For 24 years, the SAG awards have been prided on being an awards night for performers, by performers. In other words, everyone is treated equal.
But that meant any commentary about current events normally fell to presenters or winners.
Given the current climate in Hollywood, executive producer Kathy Connell said this year was a good time to break that tradition.
"This has been a year in which assumptions have been challenged, stereotypes have been shattered, and precedents have been broken," she said.
"We decided to capture the cultural mood by casting aside one of our own traditions, and we're thrilled to have such a talented performer like Bell help us do so."
Like the Globes, the treatment of women was at the forefront
This year, the show's opening featured only female performers talking about their craft.
Allison Janney (from I, Tonya), Tracee Ellis Ross (from Black-ish), Millie Bobby Brown (from Stranger Things), and Bell all talked about their experiences as actors.
"We are living in a watershed moment," Bell said.
"Let's make sure that we're leading the charge with empathy and diligence. Because fear and anger never win the race."
In addition, almost all the presenters were women this year.
The show's producers said the approach was inspired by last year's Women's March, but the show comes at a time when some of the industry's biggest names are leading the Time's Up and Me Too movements to address gender inequality, sexual misconduct, pay disparities and other issues.
Only two weeks ago there was a black-dress protest at the Golden Globe Awards, and several stars including Meryl Streep, Emma Stone and Michelle Williams bringing activists to the show.
There was a dash of controversy
With many prominent men in Hollywood facing accusations of sexual misconduct, virtually every aspect of awards season has been impacted by the scandal.
The SAG Awards were no different, with best film actor nominee James Franco accused of sexual misconduct.
Franco has called some of the accusations inaccurate, but after facing questions about the claims on late-night television, The Disaster Artist star has kept a lower profile.
He did not attend last week's Critics' Choice Awards, where he also won an acting honour.
Comedian Aziz Ansari was also nominated for a SAG Award for best actor in a television comedy for his Netflix series Master of None.
Like Franco, he accepted a Globe award two weeks ago while wearing a Time's Up pin, but has since been accused anonymously by a woman of aggressive sexual behaviour.
He said he apologised immediately after the woman told him about her discomfort during an encounter he believed to be consensual.
He did not attend the awards, and did not win his category.
The winners are usually the favourites for Oscars
The SAG Awards are a reliable predictor of the winner for the best actor and actress Academy Awards — and this year's show comes two days before Oscar nominations are announced.
The big winners in the film categories were:
- Actor: Gary Oldman for Darkest Hour
- Actress: Frances McDormand for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Supporting actor: Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Supporting actress: Allison Janney for I, Tonya
- Cast: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Stunt ensemble: Wonder Woman
The big winners in the television categories were:
- Actor in a drama series: Sterling K Brown for This is Us
- Actress in a drama series: Claire Foy for The Crown
- Actor in a comedy series: William H Macy for Shameless
- Actress in a comedy series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep
- Comedy series cast: Veep
- Actor in a movie or miniseries: Alexander Skarsgard for Big Little Lies
- Actress in a movie or miniseries: Nicole Kidman for Big Little Lies
- Stunt ensemble: Game of Thrones
The SAG Awards have no best picture category, but rather ensemble awards that recognise a film or TV show's entire cast.
One of the evening's highlights was the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to Morgan Freeman.
ABC/AP
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, film-movies, television, awards-and-prizes, human-interest, united-states
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